The present invention relates to sample loaders and, more particularly, to an automatic sample loader for a horizontal analytical furnace.
Horizontal analytic furnaces are well known. An example of such a furnace is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,617 entitled COMBUSTION SYSTEM issued to O'Brien et al. on Nov. 12, 1991. These furnaces are typically manually loaded with a sample. However, manual loading is time consuming and uncomfortable for the loader due to the high temperature within the combustion furnace and the high temperature of sample containers which are removed from the furnace.
Automatic sample loaders are known which mechanically load samples into an analytical combustion furnace. However, such loaders do not adequately seal the furnace following introduction of a sample. Accordingly, atmospheric contaminants such as nitrogen enter into the furnace and detrimentally effect the results of the analysis performed using analytical furnace. Additionally, these automatic loaders do not adequately provide for loading of sample containers and unloading hot spent containers.